jolly good health.
This time it'll be my round, boys, and we're going to do it with musical
honours. So, Peters, cut away and rout him out, like the good chap you
are."

Peters, nothing loth, went out. He found Lamont just coming out of the
house, having seen the wounded men made as snug and comfortable as they
could be under the circumstances. Indeed, he had been giving the doctor
actual aid with his own hands, in one case where an amputation had been
necessary.

"Certainly I'll come, Peters," he said. "I want to thank these fellows
for coming with me when I asked them. Heavens! to think what would have
happened if they'd hung back, for you and I would have been nowhere
against such odds. But--it won't bear thinking about."

A huge cheer greeted his entrance. All hands were awaiting him, glasses
ready. A gigantic tumbler of whisky-and-soda was thrust into his hand
by Jim Steele.

"Toss that down first, captain," said that worthy. "You've had nothing
yet."

Lamont, entering into the fun of the thing, complied. Then Jim Steele
went on--

"Boys, I'm going to give you the health of our captain, the biggest
tiger in a fight any fellow could wish to find himself alongside of--"

The vociferous chorus of `Hear--hear!' having subsided, he went on--

"But before doing that, I want to apologise to him--yes, to apologise,
and I don't know how to do it quite low enough. The day of the race
meeting I insulted you, captain. I called you a coward. A coward I
think of that, boys, after what we've seen to-day. Well, now I want to
say you may kick me--now, in front of everyone here, and I won't move.
So, go ahead."

"Oh, stow that, Jim Steele," interrupted Lamont, "and don't make a silly
ass of yourself. You were a little bit screwed, you know, and didn't
know what the devil you were saying." Here the listeners roared.
"Don't you imagine I've given that another thought, because I haven't.
And calling a man anything doesn't make him so. We'll rub out that
little disagreement right here."

He put out his hand, and the next moment almost wished he hadn't, when
Jim Steele was doing his best to wring it off. The cheering was wildly
renewed.

"Boys," went on the latter, raising his glass. "Here's Captain Lamont,
and his jolly good health. And if he'll raise a corps to take the veldt
and help straighten out this racket, I'm going to be the first man to
join. I don't suppose there's a man jack in this room th